Mumbai, Dec 4 (IANS): Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana revealed how cinema was a part of his daily life while growing up, and said that he grew up fascinated by the works of towering heroes like Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan.

Ayushmann said he is living his childhood dream of being a big screen hero.

“I remember being supremely excited about going to the cinemas every single time. I loved the world films transported me into. I idolised the heroes. We used to always watch movies on TV too and then rented movies as time progressed. Cinema was always an important part of our daily lives,” said the ‘Vicky Donor’ fame actor.

He continued: “So, I grew up being fascinated by the works of towering heroes like Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, to name a few! I also wanted to be a big screen hero. So, I’m living my dream now and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have created a niche for myself."

“The industry has been extremely welcoming and the audience has given me a lot of love. I respect that from the bottom of my heart,” he shared.

The 39-year-old actor is grateful that his parents pushed him to pursue his dream of becoming a Hindi film hero.

“The love for the movies is what made me pursue theatre in college. It pulled me to Mumbai where I tried to make a name, struggled for years, cried in joy when my films worked. I wouldn’t haven’t survived the city or the industry if my love for movies wasn’t strong enough in my heart and mind,” he said.

Added Ayushmann: "When I look back, I can’t help but feel grateful that I grew up on cinema and how my parents pushed me to pursue my dream.”

Meanwhile, on the work front he was last seen in ‘An Action Hero’. He next has ‘Lovebirds’ in the pipeline.